Featured Research

Fertility after ectopic pregnancy: first randomised trial finds reassuring evidence on the effect of different treatments

Date:

March 13, 2013

Source:

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)

Summary:

The first randomized trial to compare treatments for ectopic pregnancies has found no significant differences in subsequent fertility between medical treatment and conservative surgery on one hand, and conservative or radical surgery on the other.

Share This

The first randomised trial to compare treatments for ectopic pregnancies has found no significant differences in subsequent fertility between medical treatment and conservative surgery on one hand, and conservative or radical surgery on the other.

Related Articles

The study, which is published online March 13 in the journal Human Reproduction[1], compared three ways of treating an ectopic pregnancy: medically by methotrexate injection to interrupt pregnancy in the Fallopian tube; conservative surgery, which preserves the Fallopian tube (known as salpingostomy); and radical surgery, which removes the Fallopian tube (known as salpingectomy).

The French researchers found that there was no significant difference in fertility two years later between medical treatment and conservative surgery for ectopic pregnancies that were suitable for being treated this way, or between conservative and radical surgery for ectopic pregnancies that required surgical intervention. (They did not compare subsequent fertility rates between medical treatment and radical surgery, as some women would definitely have to be treated by surgery).

Between 2005-2009, researchers from 17 centres in France who were part of the "Groupe de recherche en gynécologie et obstétrique" (research group in gynaecology and obstetrics) randomised a total of 406 women to one of two arms: 1) those with less active ectopic pregnancies, judged by factors such as risk of the fallopian tube rupturing, how long it has been since the last menstruation, hormone levels, fluid in the peritoneal cavity, and who lived close enough to the hospital; and 2) those with more active ectopic pregnancies, where medical treatment is considered impracticable due to factors such as the fallopian tube rupturing or likely to rupture, and greater risk as indicated by the factors considered in the first arm of the study.

A total of 207 women in the first arm were randomised to either medical treatment or conservative surgery, while 199 were randomised to conservative or radical surgery in the second arm.

After two years the rates of spontaneous pregnancies in the uterus (intrauterine pregnancy) were 67% after medical treatment and 71% after conservative surgery in the first arm. The rates in the second arm were 70% after conservative surgery and 64% after radical surgery. The differences between the rates in each arm of the trial were not statistically significant. [2]

Dr Perrine Capmas, a gynaecology surgeon and obstetrician at the Service de Gynécologie et Obstétrique, Hôpital Bicêtre, University Paris Sud, Paris, France, [3] said: "This is the first randomised study to be able to compare fertility after the three treatments for ectopic pregnancies. We found that two years after treatment, there was no significant difference in fertility among the women who received medical treatment or conservative surgery in the first arm of the study, or women who received conservative or radical surgery in the second arm."

In their paper Dr Capmas and her co-authors write: "Our results suggest the following clinical recommendations for management:

In less active EP [ectopic pregnancy], others parameters such as indication of each treatment and their own therapeutic effectiveness had to be taken into account. Medical treatment should be preferred in less-active ectopic pregnancies when possible, to take into account women's preferences … and also because it entails fewer anaesthesia- and surgery-related risks. However, given the absence of any difference for subsequent fertility, surgical treatment should be preferred for women whose compliance with immediate follow-up may be doubtful.

Once surgery is necessary, in more active ectopic pregnancies, the non-significant (and quantitatively small) difference in subsequent fertility should lead to a reconsideration of the balance between considerations of initial recovery and those of fertility preservation. Physicians should appropriately inform women on these two points."

Dr Capmas added: "This means that we are able to give better advice to women when they are being treated for an ectopic pregnancy. If a woman has an active ectopic pregnancy for which surgery is the only treatment possible, then we can tell them that even if we try conservative surgery first, there is a risk they will need more radical surgery. However, we can tell them that subsequent fertility seems to be similar after each treatment.

"For less active ectopic pregnancies, we can inform women about the two available treatments (medical and conservative surgery). We can give information about operative risk, healing time, risk of the need for subsequent surgery if medical treatment is chosen first, and the fact there is similar subsequent fertility.

"We can also inform them that regardless of treatment, risk factors for ectopic pregnancies need to be corrected if possible, in order to enhance fertility and decrease recurrence rates, for example, by stopping tobacco consumption."

She concluded: "We hope that the results of this trial, called DEMETER after the Greek goddess of fertility, will lead to clinicians thinking carefully about the management of ectopic pregnancies, success rates, operative risks, healing time, subsequent fertility, economic aspects and, importantly, women's preferences." [4]

[2] These rates compare with published pregnancy rates in the general population after an ectopic pregnancy of 76% after medical treatment, 76% after conservative surgery and 67% after radical surgery. Normal pregnancy rates in the general population among women who have not had an ectopic pregnancy are around 84-89%.

[3] Dr Capmas also works at the Epidemiology of Reproduction and Child Development Team, Inserm, CESP Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health (Paris, France).

[4] There are few data available on current treatment practices for ectopic pregnancies. In France there appear to be large differences, with medical treatment accounting for an average of about 50%, conservative surgery 30% and radical surgery 20%, depending on the gynaecological team involved.

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). "Fertility after ectopic pregnancy: first randomised trial finds reassuring evidence on the effect of different treatments." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 March 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312231259.htm>.

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). (2013, March 13). Fertility after ectopic pregnancy: first randomised trial finds reassuring evidence on the effect of different treatments. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 3, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312231259.htm

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). "Fertility after ectopic pregnancy: first randomised trial finds reassuring evidence on the effect of different treatments." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312231259.htm (accessed March 3, 2015).

More From ScienceDaily

More Health & Medicine News

Featured Research

Mar. 3, 2015 — Adults over the age of 30 only catch flu about twice a decade, a new study suggests. So, while it may feel like more, flu-like illness can be caused by many pathogens, making it difficult to assess ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — No significant change in home habits of smokers have been observed in the aftermath of a ban on smoking in public spaces, researchers report. Greater inspiration to kick the habit likely comes from ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Heart function has been associated with the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease through a new study. Participants with decreased heart function, measured by cardiac index, were two to ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Children of recently separated or divorced families are likelier to drink sugar-sweetened beverages than children in families where the parents are married, putting them at higher risk for obesity ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Gastric bypass and similar stomach-shrinking surgeries are a popular option for obese patients looking to lose weight or treat type 2 diabetes. While the surgeries have been linked to a decreased ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Most people consume more salt than they need and therefore have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the two leading causes of death worldwide. But a new study reveals that dietary ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Twice as many children born to mothers who took antibiotics during pregnancy were diagnosed with asthma by age 3 than children born to mothers who didn’t take prenatal antibiotics, a new study has ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Pediatric otolaryngologists and surgeons are concerned with parents getting the wrong message regarding the safety/desirability of letting babies and young children eat peanuts to prevent them from ... full story

Featured Videos

Mom Triumphs Over Tragedy, Helps Other Families

AP (Mar. 3, 2015) — After her son, Dax, died from a rare form of leukemia, Julie Locke decided to give back to the doctors at St. Jude Children&apos;s Research Hospital who tried to save his life. She raised $1.6M to help other patients and their families. (March 3)
Video provided by AP

Looted and Leaking, South Sudan's Oil Wells Pose Health Risk

AFP (Mar. 3, 2015) — Thick black puddles and a looted, leaking ruin are all that remain of the Thar Jath oil treatment facility, once a crucial part of South Sudan&apos;s mainstay industry. Duration: 01:13
Video provided by AFP

Woman Convicted of Poisoning Son

AP (Mar. 3, 2015) — A woman who blogged for years about her son&apos;s constant health woes was convicted Monday of poisoning him to death by force-feeding heavy concentrations of sodium through his stomach tube. (March 3)
Video provided by AP

Related Stories

Mar. 5, 2014 — Pregnancy outcomes were observed in a new study with regard to the two surgical treatments for ectopic pregnancy -- salpingectomy, in which the affected fallopian tube is removed, or salpingotomy, in ... full story

Sep. 9, 2013 — Women with ectopic pregnancies could be spared surgery if they are treated with a lung cancer drug, a study suggests. Researchers treated ectopic pregnancies -- where an embryo implants inside the ... full story

Oct. 18, 2012 — Women whose first pregnancy is ectopic are likely to have fewer children in the following 20-30 years than women whose first pregnancy ends in a delivery, miscarriage or abortion, according to ... full story

Nov. 4, 2010 — Researchers may have identified a promising novel diagnostic biomarker for ectopic pregnancy, according to a new study. In the western world, deaths from ectopic pregnancy are not common but in the ... full story

ScienceDaily features breaking news and videos about the latest discoveries in health, technology, the environment, and more -- from major news services and leading universities, scientific journals, and research organizations.